The Sun. — London, England, 1810-02-16 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIA:',ILNT. HOUSE OF LORDS, T4UKSDA_Y,j'EBRUARY 15. A message was received froi - Eih&CommOns, re their Lordships' permissiamthataAdmiral L Gardner be exatnined in. their, - goose as a on the Scheidt Inquiry. - The message 'was returned to the Commons, ac qulintink'thetn of their Lordships' acquiescence. Report of The Commissioners respe4ing the fort her improvement of Westrniuster„was presented at 'the liat of the 'House.. • - ;' • = 'The Mali Duty Eill was . comixtitted,.and ordered far a thira reading to-marrow. Lord Ga.ENVI tax ; moved, that there be laid before. _the House . an Account* of the . rate' raa - puo , v, h this - country 'and the other S4tti4if . 4letropel , and A inpriqa,. during .the year en4i9g $ . lO. .Also the amount_ of bills of exchange issued and xeaGovernment. - oad oGovernment. - ac'etititit duribg the sante period; aud, thirdly, an accotnit ol the quan tity_of bullion imported and_ exported by Govern tneut-during the same time. His Lordship stated ts,ottve for having these docUrnents produced was, that he might be enabled to ascertain. whether the amount of bullion - received was equivalent in value to the paper currency now. in circulation. • The Earl of LINT sitroot. made no ObjeBtiOn4O any of the motions, and they were agreed to.. WELLESLEY'S DIVORCE BILL. The order of the day being read for proceeding in a Committee on this Bill, ' . Thu Duke.of NORFOLK moved, that the clause which went to deprive Lady Charlotte Wellesley of the interest of 15,0001. settled by, the respective. bonds of Mr.. Henry Wellesley for 10,0001. and of Lord Cadogati for 5,0001. previous to,her marriage with Mr, Wellesley, might be expunged. This uas opposed by.the Loan - CHANCELLOR ; but it was finally arranged that she should have - the interest thereof, in case she survived Mr. H. Wel . On that clause being read, (which, , by a-standing ,order of the House, must be inserted in - every Bill of Divorce before it can be introduced there; pro hibiting the adulterous parties frOm intermarrying wizti each other) a mccion was made that tt should be expunged, which brought on a short discussion, wherein the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Chancellor, Earl Grey, the Duke of Norfolk, the Earl of Buckinghamshire, and Lord Grenville; took apart. It was agreed that the clause should be ex punged, as no 'probability existed that such a circum stance could take place, Lord Pagetheing:a•married man.. The clause was therefore expunged, the Bill went through the Committee, and was ordered to be printed and read a third time.--Adjourned. , HOUSE OF COMMObS, THURSDAY, FEB. 15. Mr. WILSON obtained leave to bring in a Bill to provide tor the better Paving and Lighting the .rieta of 'Great Yarmoutli, in the County of Nor- tak. • The LOAD ADVOCATE of SCOTLAND gave notice, that he should to-morrow move for the - returns of produce of the Income Tax in Scotland for the last ►htee years; INCOME TAX. Admiral MARK/lA.IA gave notice, that he should on the 22t! of March -Move for leave to bring. in Bill for the the Relief of. certain' Officers of the Araiy, Navy, Militia; and Marines, so far as , res pects the Income Tax to which they are liable on ac: ctlunt of their pay ;' and also to- relieve,from, the same tax all funded property, not exceeding ten pounds per annum. Tti Windsor Forest Bill/was ordered to be re cot-Omitted to a private Committee. , BULLION. HIJSKISSON, to give i s tlrther'itlfOrrliatiOrl to the House, and in order thr,t the'cnOtion of the Hon. and L-arm:4 Member (M•r. Horner):might tiefairly discussed, &iloved, that a return of the advances made by the Bank of England in Bullion ; to the Govern ment, from the sth January 1798, and each subset. ( pent year, and also the quantity of Bullion sent abioad during the war, from the sth January, 1804, for the support of it, be laid before the House. After a few observations from Mr. HORNER, the motion was agreed to. Mr. HORNER then gave noticelhat he should on Nlondl- move fur the appointment of , aSelea Com , millet! on the above subject. Sir JOH N New PORT presented a-Petition frdm . the City of Waterford, against the Sugar Distillation 13111.—Laid on thetable. , The Thames and Medway Canal Bill was brought la Gy Sir E. Knatclbull, and read a first time. MARINE INSURANCE COMPANY. Mr. MANNING, in consequence of the state of the House on the preceding evening, when his- motion oil the above subject was lost, gave notice that he shoo!. I renew it on Tuesday next, ARMY ESTIMATES: Lord G. L. GOWER suggested the proprlety of de _ I,,rring, the usual grants for the army from Monday until Friday, on the ground 4hat the estimates, as t h e N o ble - Lord understood, would not be delivered to me House before Saturday, and consequently_ Gl..n;leuten could not, in the short interval between that day and Monday, be in possession of the sub, ject sotficiently to authorize them to vote. ' The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER informed the Noble Lord, that he had directed an abstract of the estimates to be prepared and laid on the table, . which estintate would enable the House to, under •st,,,a the subject without waiting for the prints. 'll4e ab,tra& would be ready either this day or to morrow, tie rather,thought they were on the table already. _Ube SPEAKER observed that duplicates were lying on the table. Sir NgwPottT thoUght it very singular that the Right Hon. Gentleman would not consent to de lay the tote ter a few days. He 'it highly expedient the House should see what they were go ing to vote. Mr. Hurs.tssoN conceived his Lion. Friend could have no objettion to vote part of t cheAstimates o n Monday I he meant those to whiC . h,ndwpf )l jtion , would 'be shewn and the remaindevaight be post poned to another day, He stiggestedThis because it yvas requisite for the public service 1114 i the supplies 1c Ow Amy should put be delayed, The CHANCELLOR of the Excazo.vEß agrcea with the suggestion of his Hon. Friend, ansl would propose 'only such estimAtes as night not lesd to discussion. He had.every wish to give the fullest opportunity for discussion. On the motion of Mr. HORNER, an Account of the Number of Vessels to and from Foreign Ports, for the four quarters, ending 180 g, distinguishing Foreign from Bfitish; was ordered to he laid l)efore the HoUse. On the motion of Mr.. WHARTON was ordered, that an Account of Monies issued 'to the Civil List, not ordinarily Owended, nor,; replaced. by .Parlia ment, be laid before the House. `.Tice Annual Qualification Indemnity Bill, t e n IYlillious.and. a Half Exchequer Bill, the One Mil lion and,a Halt:Exchequer Bills, were committed.. ' Lcid PALMERSTON moved for the Correspondence between Lieut.-Col. Gordon and the Medical Ifoard, reipeeting the special mission to Walcheron.—Or dered.—The Noble Lord aftetWardS presented the 'same. A Message from the Lords informed the House; that te , Y had consented that 4dMiral Lord Gard ner' should attend the House to be examined on the Walcheren Inquiry: Mr...WHARTOx brought up.a return of the s male and female convias transported during the last year., Which was laid on the table. On the moficin of Mr. CAt.CRAFT, a letter of the date of the . T 6tll of, July, mg, written by Sir. R ichard Strachan to Admiral Otway, containing the schedule of the army arrangements of the late expe dition, was ordered to be laid before the House. IRISH LAWS. Mr. WELLEsLEY PoLa gave notice, that lie should on Monday move for leave to bring in a Bill to re yeal so much of the Laws cif Ireland , as relate to Prisoners. GLASGOW ELECTION. Mr. H. THORNTON moved the discharge of the Order of the House for taking the Petition from Glasgow, complaining of an undue return, into con sideration on the 17th of February. The Hon. G-:m -tleman intended to postpone the consideration for a fortnight. Lord BINNING and Sir GEORGE WARRENDER objeaed to - the delay without the consent of the Sitting Member,. and the motion was rejeQed. On the motion of Mr. 'Omits, the second reading of the Bankers' Draft'Bill was deferred till TUesday next. CAPTAIN LAKE. Sir F. BURDETT called the attention of the House to a subje6t which he professed to know nothing more about than what' he had gathered from the public newspapers. The circumstances of the case to which he called their attention were those re lating to a Court Martial upon Captain Lake, which, as reported, disclosed, in his opinion, the mod ex traordinary act of barbarity and inhumanity which he had ever heard, and which would, if not inquired into by the Government, cast an indelible disgrace upon them. Captain Lake had been brought to a Court Martial for setting on shore a seaman of his ship on an uninhabited island; the fact was proved, and the Court sentenced him to be dismissed the service..• Tho Hon. Baronet did not think this Was a sufkient punishment, and so had,- frOnt a sense of 1, - fublic duty, - brought the subjea before the 1 - I,ouse. - He . hoped Government mould take some thriller steps in the buSiness, and do justice to, the individual seaman who had been thus ill-treated."— ! Their, further interference was called for on every principle of justice as affeding the liberty of seamen, and as involving the common safety of the country. At present . he would abstain from say ing any more, only wishing to be informed whether the Ea4t was as had been publicly stated, and whether any steps were carrying on against Captain Lake. •ROBERT WARD rose under some disadvan.. 'cage, beeause the Hon. Baronet had not comile semded to•inform him (Mr. W.) of his intention.-- However he had collected sufficient to know' that ,the Hon. Baronet had learnt Irom public report that Captain Lake bad been dismissed the setwice on the charge proved. The fact being so, he conceived the Admiralty Board could no further interfere.— They had done all in their power towards rendering justice to the subject, and therefore all that remained now to be done, was for the party aggrieved, if he chose, to take up the matter. , • sir F. BURDETT was not satisfied with the answer of the Hon. Gentleman. The sentence of the Court .Martial did not clear the matter up. It was not satisfactory to the Public. The SPEAKER here suggested to the Hon. Ba ronet that,there was no question before the HouSe, and that unless he would put the - subject in some train of discussion, it was highly inconvenient 'for Parliamentary business to enter into comersations. Sir F. BURDETT conceived- that in a matter of , such material importance, affecting -the life and li berty of a British subject,, the strict forms of the liouse might be dispensed with.; It was not his duty to take the • whole weight of the accusation on his own shoulders ; the sense of public duty had induced him to mention the case, and he did expect differ ent treatment. He did expect - oe House would feel for. the ,liberties of the . subject. • The SPEAKER.—"I iqally fcel it imperative on me to call for the assistance of the House: It is for the House to say - Whether they will be pleased to dispense with their ordinary rules on - this occa-, sion, when no notice of a motion,' or any thing in the shape of a motion, is brought before them. It is the practice that whenever any motion of import ance is to be made, notice of that motion is given 'previously—the Hon. Member has not given any such notice." Sir V. BURDETT i rnsidered it rather hard that When he was stating a most extraordinary public grievance, he should be tied down to ordinary rules and forms. He would, however,' -comply with them, and should take a day or two to consider in - what way he should bring the subject more fully under diseu,sioh,—[Here the matter dropped.] Mr. WILBELIFORZE moved for leave to bring in a Bell for Registering Charitable Donations—Leave given. Also for reprinting the Report of the Com mittee on the .;abject. ALLEGED ABUSES IN THE NAVY AND I3AR. RACK DEPARTMENTS. Mr. WARDLE rose, in pursuance of the notice which he had given, to move for certain papers,'re specting some of the departments of the Navy. He had stated on a .former. evening, that it was his ih tention thereon to found generally some propositilohs fur bettering the sitqation a a large body of Liscul . - . . meritorious public eervants, who had suff ered ma- Office, he 'eras- at a loss to understand the 110 . 0. , terially from the system of abuse which bad been. Gentleman, for there was no office of that descri! carried on in some of' the Navy Deparirnenta; 'lf tion. at present. He had, however, ' stated no spec n i t etre peeere we re granted which he should move for, fie charge- on which to induce the House to gra .e. he had' no hesitation in pledging. himself to prove . thesepaperssa the abuse, -it any, was now rem _a t the exiatenee of the abuses alluded to. The 'Hon.: .nleviaballialvis'ag the sale of pikes. The- appointme n t Gentleman - then' stated, that a short time since ' a lietjunibriektiks over the heads of senior, unless suc h Gentlernan from the Navy Office applied to him reappoiottaient had taken place from corrupt motivvias (Mr. W.),. describing his case-as. a very hard one, err amiatteson for- the House to interfere. - Of the and requesting his interference to procure him re- true that Sir William Gibbons' late one: a- ~ dress. Upon the' •atatementbeieg made, it did ap- i Commissioners of the Sick and Hurt O ffi ce, hs' .. . pear to him (Mr. W.) that the case was a very sex- pension.. If the Hon. Gentleman wished; to tr yi uv; _ e traordinary. one, and, :as ,a Member of Parliament, any thing on that subject, it was open for him. -..,. he found it necessary to 'interfere. That Gentle- • Right Hon;Friend had taken the proper course. to, man had, in a correspondence with the Board of correet any . ''thingwrong - in the offices allude d Admiialty, - very strongly urged his claim for remu e and he should vote against the motion. - t h e neration, behaving , been removed from the shim- • • Mr.. WILaERFPRCE was disposed to' vo te for i3ie 1 Lion which lie held, and having paid a certain I motion, because he, wished to givethe'Honon" a stun of money for that , situation. The Gentle- Gentleman every opportunity of throwing a light ' e . arnan further stated,' that •it was no unusual case, the transdElion, which upon inquiry he was pee 89 for that my Lord Barham, at that time Comp- lA A toeu fi dent would shewthat the Noble Lora 'v. re troller of ' the Navy, was, when he purches i e4 ssintieety:blameless. He never knew, a .man int' aea his place, 'in the - constant habit of - selling attached to reform, and more anxious-for the Pi" places. The Honourable 'Gentleman- understood leaeOetiotrief it (while in office) than Lord Barham ! ; s since he came to the House, that my Lord Barhau I 'Most of the reforms that had taken place were $l, . , had dope eothing a illegal, for that he haalthe right ! gested - by that Noble Personage,,and might be feu (-: to dispose of places. This d tad' e appeared very ' aiti that very early report that was made in LOru - strange, for the House must recollect that a prosecu- Landsdowne's Administration: .tion was carried on against a person for offering Mr. NOEL concurred in the sentiments that, had money to purchase a place. That , person was eon- been expressed -e _ _ by the Hon, Gent. of his Noble ttls vied, .and imprisonecland • fined, although he, did lation. He was certain that it was the wish of n not know bu; be was thing legally. When the ~Nob e Relation that the motion should be a ssent . ed , Legislature had, made it criminal he knew not, nor to, because any inquiry must tend to set forth h i s would he pretend to deny that my Lord Barham character in 'its true light: - was not justified in what he had done ; but this he did know, that it-was highly exped ient that an in- ble Sir F. BURDETT conceived that it .was necessarY the papers should be produced. The Honoura qeiry should take place into those transactions, to Gentleman had allowed, that it was injurious to . t he ascertain the (bite and the facts. With respe6t to service that the practice should be continuea. ,_v_i . some o th er' abuses, he had to state a apecific charge made against the Barrack Departfuent, by a Clerk .prafiice which he. had stated -was sanetiened ie ",, time. This was the general argument when •of in that Department, against a Mr. Prentice, now thing was wrong ;it - had been so in the case employed employed 'in passing the accounts of General De lancey.—This Mr: Prentice had bought and sold e i Jeerings of those times were not to govern the per , 0, several places, and .he trusted' the House 0,41,1 a Lerd Maccles fi eld, but he was not aware that il grant.him the Papers to get at the facts. The Hen:. selling the places of Masters in Chancery, and a the Gentleman then noticed, that the salaries in the •.sent.e bord Macclesfield had been found guiltar se l . Navy Pay Office and - the Admiralty were fixed statement of the Hon. Gentleman; this ireprol, TS . upon an equitable and just scale. Not so in the - , 4 1, er 4, pun ishm e n t had followed. According 10 ,_,.. Navy Office ; in the latter Office, length of service Hon. Friend had slated s m;lar transactions to have practice might to have stopped in i 746: Now or , gave no preference.to the O ffi cer in point of advance- ♦ 'taken place in 1794. Was not that - a reason for t ment, junior Officers were often promoted over the quiry ?—The Hon. Gentleman bad stated, that Sir , heads of seniors, __with enormous salaries. - There Were instances within his knowledge of Clerks. of did not know the fart before, nor would be prate: . W. Gibbons has a pension ; he (the Hem. Baronet), eleven years standing having salaries of 3001. per an num, while Clerks of unimpeachable character, who tore why it was that a Commissioner of the Sic! to say it was a job, but he was at a loss to corr . !: _ had been from twenty-seven to thirty years in office, -, and, Hurt Office should have a pension: Ny!'.! had only 2001. per annum. With such fads - befor, ,;possible services could he have done to the Publi c , e . the House., it, was high time the House should il.l l terfere. This partiality must come from _selling .I t ,i tia o ~,,, _ ••,that whey-should be burthened with a pension 10L situations, he could not account for it in any othet i , . s l‘l r . Rem observed, that there did not exi s t way, and tor these reasons it .was necessary that the - man: of greater honour than Lord Barham. We th documents he asked for should be produced. - There respect to the sale of offices in the Navarli - par t ‘ was another subject connected with this, in which . meat, no employments had been sold after an Or great ebuses exist. He meant the Superannuated - der in Council had been issued, A 4 years since, to .I..ist. ,He could she' that an efficient Clerk had put a stop to such practices. As to Sir W. Gibbons, been superannuated aga i ns t hi s w ill, and a boy of he was not . apprized that he bad a, pension before, fourteen years old, put in his place. This was in -but it was usual, when offices were suppressed , tO the Sick and Hurt Office; he had his salary raised to grant the heads of them annuities. It was'so Op. 1701. per annum, and then retired, and a junior the suppression of . the Wine Licen ser ' s Office,. 2o Clerk was placed in his •situation at the 'raised years ago. salary. "The case to which he had. referred, Mr. WARDLE, in explanation, considered that he was that of Isaac Judd, and it occurred in had stated a specific charge against Lord 'Barium, tit 1804. With respect to the Pension List, in that Office; on the removal of it from Somerset House to the instance of Mr. Butt; and the letters, if - pro' duced, would bear him out. Dorset-square, the Secretary retired upon a full Mr. WELLESLBT POLE -wished to explain . a point pension of, 5001. per annum, and the Assistant Se cretary, who had 2501; was made Secretary, and the ' which the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Wardle) seerne.t to think required an explanation. When the sub - salary increased to 10001.. being double that of the ject carne under_ consideration at the Adtrtiralti. , former Secretary. There was another circumstance, Board, at the time he was Secretary, and Lor d . and that was with 'respect to the creation of new places, with •unmerited salaries attached to them. constitution of the Clerks at the Navy Office vv.On', a _ ,Mulgrave was at the head, it was found that th e .i In a late commission, the Chairman, in addition to the 10001. per annum, where no additional labour be adopted at the Navy Pay Office and the Admiralty', not admit of the same regulations as were about 'was necessary, had an addition of 2001. per annual Board. A considerable expence to the Public Wo "`: as Chairman, and the Secretary had an addition of 1501. per annum for doing the business in a COM- . have accrued, and no great benefit would have been derived.. mittee-room, which he might have done in another , M r . R. W ARD.o b serve d that the sugges tion for room. The Hon. Gentleman ,having given this abolishing the sale of offices was given , shout outline of the abuses which he should brine . g mittee in 1788, but the old constitution remainede Ito light, if the papers were granted, coeieded with t ill 1796. Mr. WHITBREAD could not comprehend the . , I moving for " Copies of all Letters which had passed st e" ._ between Mr. Butt, late Clerk in the Navy Office , planation of the Hon o urabl e Gendenian, and t ber.,. and the . Lords of the Admiralty, from the I st of fore should vote for the paperS. He thouglit t he e , May, 1800, to the 16th of January , 1810, relative to the Cord: Honourable Gentleman (Mr. Wardle) had sta tes ! to his claim for remuneration, &c. ; also Copies of su ffi cient grounds for the production of th em, an cs all Letters which had passed between the First Lord the Public would not be satisfied without them. . ,of the A M ,Admiralty and r. - Butt on the same subject, Th Ceraer cee toe 01 the EXCHEQUER could not. _ ! within the same period." ea • give into t h e anxiety of the foenes of Lord Berhau: 1 Mr. ROBERT WARD , conceived the no Ge n -- n.-,ground ba d for the production of. the papers. No I tlernan had better divide his motion into twoe -under been lad for their production. What was th e case • •I the heads Navy and Barrack Department. . With. i Oiethe Report of the Comtnissioners in 178 $ , it sr 1 respect to the latier, having no information, he h at from the sta:ernents made by Lord Barbara !, could say nothing, but with respect to the former, that it was necessary some alterations •hould take • I the ,Hon. Gentleman had misrepreserned e hat he place in the 'Navy Office. ' The Com i i nessen rs t'!' i (Mr. W.) had said about the right ,of my Lord commended that certain tees should be abolished, s Barham to sell- places, as he had m i srepresented the I and an increase of salary be given in lieu 0 " la 1 whole subject. Mr. Ward declared he had never Commissioners. This liad e treen carried 'into Of '", : said it was.rio abuse to sell places ;on the cpntrary, and there was eio offenCeimputed even to Lo. , i Bar" belled thought it a great abuse, but then it must_ de- horn.. _As es to the - Barrack Department, the ftl i g" A t I peed on the date of the papers he Wished.- :AS to Hon.' Gentleman knew 'iodine!, It any siti n g " iMr. Butt, tire Hon. Gentleman had not mentioned come to his knowledge, he should - have directed all his name, but it was one of those Cases which oce i innuirv. • . • curled 'previous to the year 1784, at a time when I 'ter I that there was a charg a . • d i s- WARDLE stated, it was the received usage orthe Navy Board to dts- • given into the Commi'ssioners of the Barrack Dae pose of places, and of course was no disgrace.. 41- s partment, by Win. Pearce, a Clerk in t; a' Del I well would it be a disgrace for the 'Judges to sell' partment, accusina Prentice, employed in pa ss,n g I places (which right the House had admitted)•under , Gen, Delaecey ' s a ccounts, b with having sold placeo their petronege. With respect to-this particular i in that de Gentleman.artment subsequent to the introduCti Oo of charge, my Lord Barham would not not shrink the Bill b the Right Hon. Gentleman. .A letter I from it. A Committee had been appointed since was also se y nt to the Lords of the Treasury, 01114 1 that period, to ascertain what fees should be abolish- - a_ their attention to the subject. - • I ed in the public pffices. They had examined my i The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER would not I Lord Barham; then Sir Cherie§ Middleton, end he ' objec t to the production .of those Rapers, it the Hon -a 1 had asserted evenly, ohat the usage was; that the • Gentleman moved for them.—The question was emoluments of.bis office arose partly from salary and ' about to be p u t , w h en I partly from feeaof this description. The Comautuve Lo r d a- e• OLKSTONE wished to ask hid Majestylle I very properly had reported the pra6tice as disgrace- Law Officers a question. He had learnt frona the ful, but they did not cliaraderise it as an abuse.— Newspapers that Pohlmann and Keylock were up - They said, -" that the .practice of receiving presents dergoing the' punishment of their guilt, for selling I had been sanctioned by long usage ; that it was im. . places ; ' and he had since been informed that the i proper, and ought to be abolished." A representa- F. i Crown Officers were iii possessioo of some papers 1 lion was _ made to • the King upon the subject, and . implicat i ng persons o f cons id era bl e note i n. transace . 1 ten yeArs after, viz. in ,1796, the salary of the Irons ons of a similar nature. Comptroller of the Navy was advanced from 5001.` ''.;''''''''TWATTORNEY-GENERAL' had not the least idea I to 15001. end the Commissioners received 2001. iii, ' , AI - Ache/the Noble Lord meant. Ha should, - how- i addition to their salaries. Mr. Ward considered ,e . emer s jeeeAdiged to the Noble Lord if his neWspaPet I this as a coatplete answer to the Hon. Gentlernste-es authority — was correct, to 'render him atiY.easistance • With respett to his charge about the Sick and Hurt ill hispower t 7 d di 'e ' the e s stip -ON% gr, 4 1 con rh,g p reou Co l A Q et , f A nig) gerl , von f or. strut • 1;i(